1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to a system and method for detecting a low performing cell in a fuel cell stack and, more particularly, to a system and method for detecting a low performing cell in a fuel cell stack before the low performing cell becomes a stack performance problem for preventative maintenance purposes.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
Hydrogen is a very attractive fuel because it is clean and can be used to efficiently produce electricity in a fuel cell. A hydrogen fuel cell is an electrochemical device that includes an anode and a cathode with an electrolyte therebetween. The anode receives hydrogen gas and the cathode receives oxygen or air. The hydrogen gas is dissociated in the anode to generate free hydrogen protons and electrons. The hydrogen protons pass through the electrolyte to the cathode. The hydrogen protons react with the oxygen and the electrons in the cathode to generate water. The electrons from the anode cannot pass through the electrolyte, and thus are directed through a load to perform work before being sent to the cathode.
Proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFC) are a popular fuel cell for vehicles. The PEMFC generally includes a solid polymer electrolyte proton conducting membrane, such as a perfluorosulfonic acid membrane. The anode and cathode typically include finely divided catalytic particles, usually platinum (Pt), supported on carbon particles and mixed with an ionomer. The catalytic mixture is deposited on opposing sides of the membrane. The combination of the anode catalytic mixture, the cathode catalytic mixture and the membrane define a membrane electrode assembly (MEA). MEAs are relatively expensive to manufacture and require certain conditions for effective operation.
Several fuel cells are typically combined in a fuel cell stack to generate the desired power. The fuel cell stack receives a cathode input gas, typically a flow of air forced through the stack by a compressor. Not all of the oxygen is consumed by the stack and some of the air is output as a cathode exhaust gas that may include water as a stack by-product. The fuel cell stack also receives an anode hydrogen input gas that flows into the anode side of the stack.
The stack controller needs to know the current/voltage relationship, referred to as a polarization curve, of the fuel cell stack to provide a proper distribution of power from the stack and to provide reactants to the stack. The relationship between the voltage and the current of the stack is typically difficult to define because it is non-linear, and changes depending on many variables, including stack temperature, stack partial pressures and cathode and anode stoichiometries. Additionally the relationship between the stack current and voltage changes as the stack degrades over time. Particularly, an older stack will have lower cell voltages, and will need to provide more current to meet the power demands than a new, non-degraded stack.
Fortunately, many fuel cell systems, once they are above a certain temperature, tend to have repeatable operating conditions at a given current density. In those instances, the voltage can be approximately described as a function of stack current density and age.